The class of polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) has been known for some time. Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286, produced such polymers of relatively low carbon monoxide content in the presence of free radical initiators, i.e., peroxy compounds. U.K. Pat. No. 1,081,304 produced similar polymers of higher carbon monoxide content in the presence of alkylphosphine complexes of palladium salts as catalyst. Nozaki extended the process to produce linear alternating polymers by the use of arylphosphine complexes of palladium moieties and certain inert solvents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,412.
More recently, the class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon, e.g., carbon monoxide and ethylene or carbon monoxide, ethylene and propylene, has become of greater interest in part because of the greater availability of the polymers in quantity. These polymers, often referred to as polyketones or polyketone polymers, have been shown to be of the repeating formula --CO--(A)-- where A is the moiety of unsaturated hydrocarbon polymerized through the ethylenic unsaturation. By way of further illustration, when the hydrocarbon is ethylene the polymer is represented by the repeating formula --CO--(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2)--. The general process for the more recent production of such polyketone polymers is illustrated by a number of Published European Patent Applications including Nos. 121,965 and 181,014. The process typically involves a catalyst composition formed from a compound of the Group VIII metals palladium, cobalt or nickel, the anion of a strong non-hydrohalogenic acid and a bidentate ligand of phosphorous, arsenic or antimony.
The resulting polymers are relatively high molecular weight thermoplastics having utility in the production of shaped articles such as containers for the food and drink industry and internal as well as external parts for the automotive industry which are produced by processing the polyketones by known methods. For some particular applications it has been found desirable to have properties which are somewhat different from those of the polyketone polymers. It would be of advantage to retain the more attractive properties of the polyketone polymers and yet improve other properties. These advantages are often obtained through the provision of a polymer blend.